74.3 per cent pre-school children in India are anaemic

India ranks second among nine countries in the region in prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women and third in the pre-school children and non-pregnant women groups, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
The percentage of anaemic pre-school children in the country is 74.3 per cent while 52.0 per cent non-pregnant women suffer from the disease.
Anaemia prevalence among pregnant women is 49.7 per cent, Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda said Rajya Sabha in reply to a question of P Bhattacharya on the problem of anaemia in the country.
According to WHO data, among the nine countries -- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand -- Bhutan tops in anaemia prevalence among pre-school children while Nepal tops the chart in other two groups.

"Taking cognizance of high prevalence of anaemia across all age groups, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under National Health Mission has launched National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI) to address iron deficiency anaemia comprehensively across all life stages including pregnant women, children, adolescents and women in reproductive age groups," the minister said.
He said that universal screening of pregnant women for anaemia is an integral part of ante-natal care, through the existing network of sub-centres and primary health centres.

Replying to another question on the problem of leprosy, the minister said that 58.8 per cent of new leprosy cases in the world are in India.

"As per WHO, India reported 58.8 per cent of new leprosy cases detected in the world," he said.
Though he said that the country has achieved reduction in prevalence rate, which is less than one case per 10,000 population, at national level in 2005. "The Ministry is now concentrating on achieving elimination of leprosy at district level during the 12th Plan Period.